Detachable reflector fob



F. R. COATS.

DETACHABLE REFLECTOR FOR VEHICLE LAMPS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY25. 1918.

1 3 1 4,047 Patented Aug. 26, 1919.

FR 17 Kan/1T5.

FRED R. COATS, OF SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS.

DETACHABIQE REFLECTOR FOR VEHICLE-LAMPS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRED R. COATS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Springfield, in the county of Sangamon and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Detachable Reflector for Vehicle- Lamps, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to reflectors such as are used on automobile lamps, or other similar lamps, to reflect downward the greater part of the light to illuminate the road in front of the vehicle and spread the light on each side of the road so that the driver may have a clear view of the way he is traveling, while part of the lamp is covered so that the glare of the direct light will not dazzle persons in front of the lamps.

The purposes of the invention are, to provide a reflector of a form especially suitable for the use described and to provide simple and effective adjustable connecting devices adapted for use with lamps of different sizes and so constructed and arranged that the reflector may be easil and quickly connected with or detached rom lamps of different sizes.

The invention is illustrated in the annexed drawing, to which reference is hereby made, and will now be described and the new and useful features thereof will be recited in the claims.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a lamp equipped with a detachable reflector embod'ying the invention.

Fi 2 is a vertical section on the line X. of Fig. 1. Y

Fi 3 is a horizontal section on the line Y. of Fig. 1, looking upward.

Fig. 4 is a partial vertical section onthe line Z. Z. of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5- is a fragmentary sectional diagram illustrating a vizor-shape reflector and connections of modified construction; and Fi 6- is a reduced sectional diagram showing the permanent reflector of the lamp; the vizor-shape detachable reflector; and a hemispherical concavo-eonvex shield in correlation to each other.

The same reference numerals designate the same parts in the different views.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 26, 1919 Application filed May 25, 1918. Serial No. 236,500.

The lamp body 1, the stationary reflector 2 and the llght 3, may be of any standard or approved construction. A. cap ring 4, preferably of the form shown, keeps the glass 5 in place in front of the lamp.

The detachable reflector is preferably of thin sheet metal, for the sake of lightness and flexibility and comprises a vizor-shape body 6 having a polished inner reflecting surface, an approxlmately circular integral corrugated part 7 adapted to fit around the greater part of the circumference of the capring 4; and strap-members 8 and 12. The strap-member 8 has an ear 9 having a hole 10. The strap-member 12 has a series of holes 13. The has 14 is conformed to the outer surface of t e strap-member l2 and has at one end a hook 15 adapted to enter By changing the hook 15 from one hole 13' to another, the strap, as a whole, may be lengthened or shortened, as the case may be, to conform to lamps of different circumferences.

I have shown and described, and prefer to use, a detachable reflector having an adjusting stra comprising the members 8, 12 and 14. do not however restrict my claims to that construction, since it is obvious that other means than the strap-members 8 and 12 may be used to connect the visor-shape reflector with the lamp-body; such for example, as the construction shown diagrammatically in Fig. 5, in which 1 is the lamp body; 2 is the stationary reflector in the lamp body; 4 is the cap-r1n 5 the glass front of the lamp; 6 the vizor-shape detachable reflector having a corrugated memher 7 conformed to the outer surface of the part of the clamping ring with which it is in contact, but not having the strap-members 8 and 12; and a screw 20 or equivalent connecting device, adapted to connect the reflector 6 and the ring 4 with the lamp-body 1, so that upon withdrawin the connecting device, the reflector 6 may e detached, and

the connecting device 20 may be restored to securely connect the ring 4 with the lampbody.

Referring to Fig. 2, it will be noted that the upper central part ofthe reflector 6, shown in section, is inclined at anangle of approximately 60 degrees relative to the vertical plane of the front of the lamp, and projects outwardly from the front of the lamp a distance somewhat greater than the diameter of the front of the lamp. This form of the reflector 6 is of the essence of my invention, and is of especial value because the entire reflecting surface of the concave stationary reflector 2 is within the field of the reflecting surface of the vizorshape reflector 6; hence all the rays of light pro ected against the reflector 2 will go to the reflector 6 and it will project all the rays downward, so that practically all the light will be applied on the roadway below the reflector 6, as indicated by darts in Fig. 2. I am aware that hemispherical concavoconvex guards have been used to temporarily close somewhat more than half the flected by the supplemental reflector, which in the absence of the supplemental reflector would be difl'used in the atmosphere.

The constructions hereinbefore described are effective for proper control of the light of most of the lamps now in use; there are however, some lamps in which the bulb is movable forwardly and rearwardly along its horizontal axis for the purpose of preperly focusing the light in the permanent reflector 2. I have found in practice that in some lamps of this type, if the bulb be moved forwardly the light rays may in some cases be projected forwardly outside the scope of the body of the supplementary reflector and may produce a confusing glare in front of the'lamp. Ihave also found in practice that if a reflector body 6 having a circumferential corrugation 7 and strap members 8 and 12 conformed to the circumference of a lamp body of given diameter be expanded on a lamp body of considerably greater circumference, the expanding of the members 7, 8- and 12 may result in raising the supplemental reflector body to such exfront of the lamp, but such guards are not adapted to utilize all the light, to illuminate the roadway in front of the vehicle. Fig. 6' I have shown diagrammatically, a permanent concavo-convex reflector 2; a light 3; a hemispherical concavo-convex shield 21 and a vizor-shape concavo-convex reflector 6, and have indicated by darts the direction of reflected rays 30 and 31. Here itis to be noted that if the shield 21 alone be used in connection with the reflector 2, the reflected rays .30 and 31 will be projected forwardly and upwardly beyond the field of the shield 21 and into the atmosphere in front of the shield 'and might dazzle a person in front of and close to the lamp. If

the vizor-shape reflector 6 alone be used in connection with the reflector 2, it will be notedthat the same rays 30'and 31 will be projected upwardly and forwardly within the field of the'reflector 6 and will be reflected forwardly and downwardly upon the road. In the first instance the light would be projected upwardly and forwardly in a manner tending to confuse the driver' and tending to confuse a pedestrian in front of manent reflector alone is used; and I attribute this superior illumination to commingling with the direct rays normally going to the ground a large number of rays retent that some rays reflected from the lower half of the permanent reflector may be projected forwardly under the lower edge of a the supplemental reflector body and may cause objectionable glare. To overcome these objections I provide an adjustable extension 32 of light and flexible-sheet metal, conformed to the outer surface of the vizorshape reflector. 6; and I also provide slots 33 in the wall of the reflector 6 to accomnigdate bolts 34 which extend through suita y placed holes 35 in the extension andthrough. the slots33 and serve to adjustably connect theextension 32 with the reflector 6,

' so that upon loosening the bolts the extension may be slid downwardly and forwardly upon the reflector to lengthen it and increase its scope so that'it will take all the rays reflected by the permanent reflector.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Let-. ters Patent is:

1. In an appliance of the class described, the combination of a lamp body equipped with a permanent reflector; a supplemental reflector in cooperative relation to the permanent reflector of the lamp body; and an extension adjustable on the supplemental reflector, to vary the scope of the supplemental reflector.

2. A reflector comprising a slotted re-' flector body; a perforatedextension conformed to the reflector body, and connecting devices extending through the perforations of the extension and through the slots in the reflector body to adjustably' connect the extension with the reflector body.

3. In an appliance of the class described, the combination of a permanent reflector body an inclined vizor-shape reflector con- In witness whereof I have hereunto nected with the permanent reflector body; signed my name at Springfield, Illinois, this an extension complemental to the vizor- 18th day of May, 1918. shape reflector and adjustable forwardly and FRED R. COATS. rearv'vardly thereon; and means for secur- Witnesses;

ing the extension in different positions on S. ALLYNN Tnoxmm,

the vizor-shape reflector. RAY G. TROXELL. 

